We departed Enderby Island around 01:30 with zero wind and
glassed out sea state for the fifty-five-mile passage to the Montebello Islands. Along the way we passed
only one ship and also passed close by to the Campbell mono-pod gas well head
catching a mackerel tuna that I let go.
As we approached Pansy Island where the reef rose up
sharply, I caught a large shark mackerel that I let go. Moments later I caught
a large Spanish mackerel that got off, then I hooked up again just behind the
boat and this time it bit through the line and I lost my nice shiny
thirty-dollar lurer that I just bought I Karratha.
I quickly re-rigged with a wire leader this time but didn’t
get a touch.
We entered the north channel around 09:30 and anchored at Main
beach down the Bunsen Channel on the south west side of Trimouille Island
probably only two hundred metres from the site of the British atomic bomb blast on-board
the HMS Plym.
HMS Plym
Operation Hurricane
This first test of the British test series took place on 3rd October 1952. Its purpose was to test the effects of exploding a ship-smuggled nuclear bomb on a harbour and surrounding areas. The bomb was exploded inside the hull of the British naval frigate HMS Plym that was anchored in 12 metres of water. The subsequent blast left a saucer shaped seabed crater 6 metres deep and 305 metres in diameter, where the explosive power of this implosion device was estimated at 25 Kilo Tons.
Right away I lowered the tender and setup the outboard and
fuel and then we had breakfast. I was so tired but just wanted to get going as
the weather was so good.
We headed up to Gladstone Point where the fourth British atomic bomb was detonated and we walked into ground zero for a photo and a look around.
Same photo taken in the early 90's
Operation Mosaic
The primary purpose of the series was to conduct research in support of thermonuclear weapon development.The G2 test was to produce the largest yield of any atomic device conducted in Australia and exceeded an assurance of yield limit given by the British Government to Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies, by an excess of 30 Kt.
G1: Trimouille Is. Detonated 16th May 1956. Yield: 15 Kt. Method of Delivery: 31m high tower
G2: Alpha Is. Detonated 19th June 1956. Yield: 98 Kt. Method of Delivery: 31m high tower
From here we went into Louis Lagoon to photograph some old generators that probably powered the test instruments and what I believe are mechanical blast wave test instruments, relics from the G1 atomic bomb testing in 1956.
Please let me know if you know what these are?
I believe they were used to measure the blast force.
We worked our way back to the boat inspecting all the old
test instruments left rusting in the sand dunes and occasionally scaring quite
a few small rat kangaroos that would hop away so fast I didn't have time to take a photo.
Above and below is the remains of a gamma flux meter
A clockwork mechanism rusting away in the sand dunes
This twisted wreckage is definitely pieces of HMS Plym by the way it has been riveted together.
This looked to be pieces of an aluminium amphibious craft or air frame flung high up in the centre of the Island
The closer we got to Sirocco we started to see great lumps
of HMS Plym thrown up onto the Island and one large room was resting just
above the high tide mark with lots of dead baby turtles inside it.
The room had a water tight door and a ladder, but why was it not twisted and mangled?
It was hot and without any breeze it was stifling, so we
took a rest from all the walking and decided to have a look down the southern
end of Trimouille Island.
There were several fishing charter boats running around and
even a jet ski. We dragged a popper for a while and caught a small trevally and
a very large trevally and then we caught a large shark mackerel, but no coral
trout.
The water was crystal clear and we found some really good
bottom for cray fishing if the weather is good tomorrow.
We headed back to Sirocco where I took the fillets off the
small trevally for tonight’s dinner and I relaxed with a couple of beers while
the sun went down.
Two fishing charter boats anchored close by us and the
weather conditions are still dead calm.
Track Sirocco’s
progress
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